A question for those who swim.

sculley
sculley Posts: 2,012 Member
edited December 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
What benefits are there to swimming? what sort of must have items do you need to swim with (your personal opinion hair caps etc) and does anyone have before and after pics of what swimming did for there body.

I am thinking about taking this up as a form of exercising.

Replies

  • dotti1121
    dotti1121 Posts: 751 Member
    bump!
  • GuruOnAMountain
    GuruOnAMountain Posts: 489 Member
    I'd say the big benefits for me are:
    -less stress put on the joints (I do a lot of high impact cardio and so like being able to give my joints a rest now and again by jumping in the pool).
    -better breathing

    As for things you need, a comfortable swimming costume and a good pair of goggles are all I use. Chlorine really annoys me if it gets in my eyes so definately need goggles but that might not be the same for you. Obviously there's loads of other stuff available such as nose clips, ear plugs and swimming caps but I don't personally feel that any of that is needed for recreational swimming.
  • shellsrenee01
    shellsrenee01 Posts: 357 Member
    Benefits for swimming:

    1) I'm not sweating (haha)
    2) I feel like I weigh nothing in the pool. Love that feeling.
    3) I can get some great stretching done while swimming.
    4) With a good session of laps, my arm muscles get a great workout.

    I don't have any pics for you, sorry. I usually swim when I need a break from my fitness classes and the treadmill. I do it mostly for the mental benefits. It's fun and uses all your muscles while you're at it. Make sure to get goggles! You'll enjoy it more when you can keep your eyes open at all times. I don't tie my hair back or put it in a cap. I like to watch it fan out around me while I'm being silly in between laps.

    Now I want to go for a swim! :wink:
  • LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo
    LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo Posts: 3,634 Member
    What benefits are there to swimming? what sort of must have items do you need to swim with (your personal opinion hair caps etc) and does anyone have before and after pics of what swimming did for there body.

    I am thinking about taking this up as a form of exercising.

    Swimming is an excellent low impact exercise that is good especially if you have joint problems & it also target several muscles.

    As for the items, for me I'm just using an anti-fog googles. However I consider buying a hair cap too because I hate how my hair messes up once my head is up a shore. Of course don't forget to put on water-proof sunblock & re-apply every hour to protect skin from the harmful UV rays.
  • shaleigh07
    shaleigh07 Posts: 19
    I swam competitively for 5/6 years and I love it! It is such a great workout - it works every muscle group and it isn't an impact sport like running that puts strain on you body over time. I lost a lot of body fat swimming too!

    All you really need is the cap, goggles & appropriate swim suit. Good luck!
  • LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo
    LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo Posts: 3,634 Member
    What benefits are there to swimming?

    Not drowning.

    Only if you know how to do it right. You can see the big difference between someone who took up formal swimming lessons & someone who just learned how to float.
  • sandylion
    sandylion Posts: 451 Member
    Swimming is a fantastic full body exercise if you know a variety of strokes. Even just your basic front crawl is using most of the large muscle groups of your body. If you mix it up with breast stroke, side stroke, and if you're really adventurous the butterfly, you're working everything and it's pretty hard core. I think the danger with swimming is thinking that its not supposed to be hard so you just leisurely go about it. Go hard, go fast, go long, and you'll see results big time.
  • sculley
    sculley Posts: 2,012 Member
    What benefits are there to swimming?

    Not drowning.

    Very helpful...thank you I never thought of that :huh:

    Don't think I would of said I wanted to do it as a form of exercise if I didn't have some understanding of how to... Wow I didn't know I was talking to kids.
  • FitMama2013
    FitMama2013 Posts: 913 Member
    benefits - low-inpact, entire body workout

    equipment - my favorite goggles are speedo vanquisher, and I always wear a cap (prefer silicone so it doesn't pull my hair out). my favorite suits are polyster, as they don't get see-through in the butt and last until the elastic dies. that's all you NEED - but I'm an equipment junkie (swam my entire life through college) and love using a snorkle, paddles, fins, pull bouy, etc. I don't know if you're in the US or not, but I buy all my equipment through swimoutlet.com

    Edited to add: I'm not sure if you can see my pics on my profile (privacy settings), but #5 over is me when I was swimming in college.
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
    swimming is a full body workout. I swam competitively for years and still attest to it probably being the best all around carido workout available. I have long hair and sensitive eyes so find that a swim suit, swim cap, and goggles are necessary. I also think that if you have never had a lesson, it is important to have a couple otherwise you tend to work really hard at getting no where.
  • susannahcooks
    susannahcooks Posts: 293 Member
    Swimming is like yoga for me. For some reason when I swim laps, my brain goes blank and all I do is focus on my breathing. For some people it may be running or some other solo fitness type exercise, but for me: swimming clears my head, especially when I can swim outside at dawn. I love that I can push myself and not have to worry about heat - athough the sweaty does catch up when you get out of the pool after a good workout - but a cool shower can remedy that. It is easy on the joints as the others have mentioned - so its a nice switch up between running for me to give my joints a break - plus if you do swim outside there is the added benefit of Vitamin Sun :) (sunscreen is a must). I don't use goggles - they seem to suck to my eyes and I've never gotten used to it. My eyes must be chlorine resistant because pool water doesn't really bother me. I don't mess with swim caps or plugs or any of that other mess either. Hair in a pony - and rinse well with clear water and spray/eave in conditioner if you're not going to wash your hair immediately after. A swimsuit that doesn't ride up and doesn't require adjustments while you swim - so a basic tank is probably best. Flip flops to get from lockerroom/home to poolside, a good thirsty towel, and a bottle of water. You may not feel like you're sweating, but you are. you still need to hydrate. Be sure to take care of your skin after a swim too - rinse off well with cool water, and moisturize - the chlorine can sap the skin of moisture if you do swim regularly. Ok - those are my 8 or 9 cents :)
  • alli_baba
    alli_baba Posts: 232 Member
    It's an excellent full body workout. I've been lap swimming since I was 6 so I don't have any useful before/after pix but I have seen other people achieve really great results.

    Good goggles are key and I like a swim cap (I have long hair and I don't like it in my eyes, especially when doing flip turns).
  • Nessiechickie
    Nessiechickie Posts: 1,392 Member
    I use to swim competitively and coach it for years, it does wonders for your body if you know what to do and how to do it right.
    The best ab workout for swimming (if you are comfortable on your back), and can do dolphin/butterfly kick do that on your back with your hands in streamline... amazing for your abs if you do it right. (Don't kick from the knees! From the hips!)
    Anyways swimming is one of the top sports that uses the most muscles in your body.
  • miracole
    miracole Posts: 492 Member
    Things I love about swimming:

    1. It's low impact on the joints so makes a good change up from my running training;
    2. It's very calming once you get into a routine and get your breathing down (I find that if I'm stressed out when I start swimming by the end all the problems that seemed huge kind of float away- no pun intended)
    3. it is GREAT for your arm, chest and back muscles- legs too but I don't notice that as much because of my running
    4. because it's a full body workout you know you've worked when you're done. I sleep VERY well after swimming 2k.

    No pictures but my back definition is much better with swimming.

    All you really need to swim is a swimsuit that is comfortable (don't necessarily worry about what it looks like so long as you are comfortable moving in it) and goggles. I use a swim cap to keep my hair in order. Some people use a nose plug to prevent water up the nose but I find my best breathing happens when I inhale through my mouth and then exhale through my nose under water.
  • sculley
    sculley Posts: 2,012 Member
    Thanks everyone ya'll have been a great help and amazing :)
  • rubysphoto
    rubysphoto Posts: 254 Member
    We just got a pool membership and I thought I was in decent shape LOL. Well after a few days in a row of doing lap swimming my body was feeling it. A great workout for sure.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories